Spending the Night at Wigwam Village on Route 66 in San Bernardino
Vložit
- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- One of the most iconic spots on Route 66 is the Wigwam Villages (there are two along the Mother Road) yet somehow we never had spent the night at one before this video. We recently stayed at Wigwam Village #7 (Wigwam Motel) in San Bernardino (or Rialto), California.
The Wigwam Village concept was created by a man named Frank Redford and the first Wigwam Village was opened in 1933 in Horse Cave, Kentucky. He later moved to a larger site in Cave Creek, KY and opened Wigwam Village #2 (which is still around today).
In total there were 7 Wigwam Villages built across the country between 1933 and 1950. The one in San Bernardino is Wigwam Village #7 and is one of two that are located on Route 66, and one of three that still remain.
Redford sold his Kentucky property in 1944 and moved to California. In 1947 he began construction of this Wigwam Village in San Bernardino, and it opened in 1950.
When it opened, the Village consisted of a large wigwam office building and 11 cabins arranged in a semicircle. With a growth boom in San Bernardino and increased travel along Route 66, a second row was added, making Wigwam Village #7 the only one to have two rows of teepees.
Over the years the Wigwam Villages have become some of the most iconic and recognizable buildings on Route 66 (and even inspired the Cozy Cone Motel in the Pixar film Cars). While four of the Wigwam Villages no longer stand, we are lucky that three remain (the other two are in Holbrook, AZ and Cave City, KY) and are still a great place to spend the night.
○ Gear we use: www.amazon.com/shop/sidetrack...
►Please subscribe for weekly updates showcasing some of our adventures: / @sidetrackadventures
►Also please follow Sidetrack Adventures on Instagram: / sidetrackadventures
►And please follow Sidetrack Adventures on Twitter: / sidetrackadvent
I remember Lisa from back in the 90's when the place was still seedy. She lived in wigwam #6 and knew how handle a tom-tom.
My brother and I always wanted to stay in one of the teepees everytime we drove by the village.
I love your videos. Thanks for publicizing the Wigwam. It may help to preserve this magical but endangered place. Unfortunately the local municipalities allow disreputable businesses to be sited nearby instead of using the Wigwam to get this section of Route 66 redeveloped into a nice business business district with shopping and restaurants and other attractions as the cities to the north have done. I love the Wigwam. The teepees at the very ends of the court are a sidewalk away from busy Route 66, but the teepees that aren't immediately adjacent to the road are very quiet. The teepees with a single bed have a couch and coffee table. Rooms in the outer circle of teepees are bigger than those in the inner circle. And room rates are very reasonable. This place is a treasure. It has to be one of the most photogenic motels in the country, a true American retro icon.
Nice enough for a night's stay, that's for sure. Looks to be well maintained, and a good value.
Yes, it was in great condition.
Yeah, I live in San Bernardino and I always hear that sirens
This brought back such great memories. I was born and raised in Kentucky about 30 minutes from Horse Cave, KY. We drove by them often. This was in the fifties and sixties. I always wanted to stay in one but never did. Thanks for showing what the inside looked like. I never knew others existed.
The one in Horse Cave was the first one! There is still one in Cave City, KY too.
Thanks for this! There used to be one in Tempe, Arizona lasting until the 60's at least.
As a long-time Route 66 fan, I appreciated the look at this place. Whether I would stay there is an open question, but my wife would kill me if I ever took her there! LOL.
Super cool place! Having lived in LA & San Francisco my whole adult life, the sounds of sirens & traffic at night is comforting. Add a train whistle, and it's perfect! Silence at night is just creepy for me. I'll have to head out to San Bernardino to check this out sometime! Good video!
Thank you. its definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.
Same here I love the sound of car's driving by when going to sleep to me it's soothing!! ❤
I just loved your review of the tepee motels on route 66, I use to drive by them everyday on my way to work.
OMG that's so cute!!!❤️
I remember a Wigwam style motel in Cherokee NC. I always wanted to stay there but my parents wouldn't even consider it.
Don't know if I would ever stay at those ones in that area lol 😳😄
Yeah! You pronounce wigwam correctly. And I'd love to spend a night there. Unfortunately, I never did it when I lived in California. Thanks for the showing!
We've passed the AZ one countless times but it's still one of the few things we've never done. Hahaha. Shame about the noise though but still a unique experience to check off the list!
I stopped by the AZ one a month or so ago, but our schedule didn't work out for staying there. It looks like it would be much quieter there though lol.
I stayed there last week in the teepee next to yours. I was amazed how quiet it was inside.
Wow, sounds like there's a huge difference just being a little further from the road.
Like you, I have stopped by but have never stayed there. Thank you for video.
Thank you for watching.
So was this the location that inspired the Cozy Cone hotel in Cars?
Yes.
It's my dream to stay in a wigwam motel. There used to be one here in Alabama where I live. It's long gone now 💔
This is where
I took beautiful Joanne.
Hoseanne, yeah, lots of Love there.
Where are you now
Joanne ?
I remembered the one in Arizona but never stayerd. Thanks for the episode! Loved the triangular mirror in the room Nice motif touch! :-)
As a kid back in the 90s it said "Do it in a teepee" 😂
Thank you so much for the background on the Wigwam Hotel, I'd seen one in Arizona but hadn't made the connection. I'll put it on my buck list.
I sure like your videos brother. You do a great job, Thanks!
I appreciate that!
I stayed there in 2015, Wigwam #14. Now I want to stay at the one in Holbrook, AZ
Same here. We stopped by the AZ one in October but our schedule didn't work out for staying unfortunately.
Everytime I pass there with my 7yr old son he always asks me if that's lighting McQueen's house 😆
oh this was such a nice video to watch! I've lived in San Bernardino most of my life and gone past here fairly often but my family never had a reason to book a room
The Wigwams are pretty cool 😎 Staying in a bad neighborhood seems normal 🤪 when your on a road trip 😬 unfortunately
Yes, going to try and check out the other 2 existing ones at some point.
Cool reveal old school motel with intercity flair. Thanks for the reveal.
Steve...i really enjoyed this! (as usual) I pretty sure our Corvette group stayed in the Arizona one, again, many years ago.
I still have to stay in the Arizona one.
I had never heard of the Wigwam Motel/Village. It was very interesting. The Wigwam was roomier and better appointed than I imagined. It was too bad that the ceiling was so low and all the noise. I would love to stay in one some time though. Thank for showing it to us.
Glad you enjoyed it
The nostalgic factor falls off sharply once you get inside, pretty bland and empty, especially with the flattened ceiling.
But outwardly its nice, looks like they keep up the grounds really well and keep everything maintained.
Was rea;;y hoping the ceiling went up into a point.
@@SidetrackAdventures Man! Can you imagine the heating and cooling costs if it did?
Love this! 🌹🌹🌹
the only reason i know of this place is it was one of the post cards from the classic 80s vacation movie with Chevy Chase.
I seem to remember as a kid traveling from South Phoenix to Superior Arizona to visit my grand parents, there was a teepee complex en route near Mesa.
We never stayed there and I’m not sure if it was part of the franchise as mentioned in this video?
Thanks for the video! I have stayed at the one in Holbrook, AZ. & it was a great stay.
Glad you enjoyed it! Planning on staying at the Holbrook one soon.
@@SidetrackAdventures It's considerably quieter then the one in the video.
Just a little history trivia per the (teepee) village.
In the old west, the Lakota tribes would align their teepee’s in that same semi- circle.
I could not tell what direction the open portion of the semi-circle was positioned in the video.
However the Dakota Indians would always align their teepees with the open portion of the semi-circle pointing to the east.
This was part of their religious beliefs that welcoming the sun gods into their lives every sunrise.
I’m guessing that the designer of this resort may have been aware of the Lakota culture? 🤔
❤❤❤
Another great video. Heard about the Wigwam Motel years ago. Thank you for sharing it. Greetings from the Sunshine State.
Thank you. We always appreciate your kind words.
Lost my innocence at this place, many decades ago...this place is an institution in the city of Rialto, CA...
Another great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Room looks really nice, clean, well maintained. Nice bathroom, shower. Can't do anything about the noise. Too bad the "wigwam" isn't better insulated for sound. Back in the day, there may not have been as much traffic or large vehicles and it would've been quieter. Nice memory, though, now that you've fulfilled your dream (pun intended) of staying overnight there.
We still plan on staying at the other two!
Where are/were the other ones located? I remember one in either AZ or NM as a child. Of course, I wanted to stay there too!
The ones in Holbrook, AZ and Cave Creek, KY are the other 2 that still exist. The ones that are gone were in KY, FL, LA, and AL.
Great video. Did you try out the pool? Is it heated in the winter?
We did try the pool. It was over 90 degrees outside despite being November so it felt good. Not sure if it is heated, I kind of doubt it though.
I always wanted to, since I was a little girl, stay the night there. And the s pool, excited. But at that time, it was definitely well maintained, business seemed to be good. It was never without a wigwam not being occupied.
Well the opportunity came when I got to stay over night.
My daughter calls this place “The conceiving WigWam”. 😆 Yes indeed, this is her loving wigwam. If I could only remember such one we stayed in. Lol. Well I’m proud to say I have my story with a WigWam . Guess u can call it s Love Story, right?
The room so round , nothing extravagant. It definitely did not feel cozy yet. I felt safe and warm because I was with my baby daddy the bathroom all tile, very narrow with the shower and bathtub. It was so tiny though and cute and is very unique and staying there but I do it again ………. NO
Certainly worth a slumber stop.
Not a bad room you said like a standard hotel room
how cool was this stay notr your usual stay like 150
Do they let you go on the property to take pictures?
Growing up in Corona (late 50s through the 60s) with Grandparents who lived in San Bernardino, I, too, have been by there many a time. I, too, have promised to stay there one night. Haven't yet, but, I still got days.
One question about the video though. When you toured the bathroom, the exhaust fan was incredibly loud. Was it that loud to a person? Or was it because of sensitivity in the recording equipment?
It was really loud in person as well. I figured since there were no windows in the bathroom the fan in there had to be industrial strength or something.
The nearby Mitla Cafe is another Route 66 classic. A period Mexican restaurant with fresh food and great atmosphere. Did them both on our recent drive through.
Have eaten there before, but they close at 7 so it didn't quite fit in our schedule this time.
Wait this place is real. I thought they disappeared and just remade for movies
Its real! There are three left. This one, one in Holbrook, AZ, and one in Cave Creek, KY.
One of the seven locations was in Orlando, FL.
Have seen a few old postcards of that one. It looked really cool with the huge grassy area in the middle and flagpole.
Love your travels around.
Real shame the interior is standard.
Pictures of native Americans or patterned bed quilts as a reminder of the old west would be good.
Hi from the U.K.
I slept in those before and the rooms always smell like cigarettes and the beds are so squeaky 😂
That's where my parents went for their honeymoon in 1956.
Nice vid. We just moved to SB a year ago. We’ve adjusted to the sirens for police/ fire which seem to be a regular thing out here. Nonetheless we’re minutes from all that we love. Crestline lake arrowhead big bear Lake perris and many more places. Thanks for posting this. We haven’t travelled Route 66 ever. I drove out to take a peek and the traffic. Was unbelievable, so I figured some type of event was going on. CZcams shows lots of old car shows. Not my thing but sounds like a culture worthy of respect.
We were up in the Arrowhead area earlier in the year. Definitely want to head back and spend more time there. That drive is amazing.
Sold more dope in there than anywhere 😂
⛺️
What is the price ?
When we stayed I think it was about $80, but I'm sure it depends on time of the week and season.
I grew up in Redlands. We all know how bad San Bernardino is.
That's 5time hood. 😂
IE 5x crip hood
Do it in a Teepee
Most locals would believe this to be in Rialto, but I see now that the motel falls just inside the San Bernardino city limits.
Did you at least get a chance to stop at Bass Pro Shop?? 👍 👎 lol
haha I actually really want to stop there but always forget about it until I see it when driving by on the freeway. I'm going to be passing by again next week and I will remember to stop this time!
The rooms need a serious remodel. I heard that you have to
pay to film you tube videos there.
I live in the town over from San Bernardino and this place looks cool but it is located in one of the worst and trashiest parts of SB. Very dangerous over in this area at night! My opinion, not worth the time and money just FYI.